huh

The word “huh” means used to show confusion, surprise, or to ask someone to repeat what they said. In plain terms, a casual sound people make to show confusion, surprise, or to turn a statement into a question.

“Huh” is pronounced huh (/hʌ/ in IPA).

Here is “huh” used in a sentence: “Huh? I didn't catch that.”

“Huh” is an interjection.

The word “huh” dates back to around 1600 and comes from Dutch. A natural exclamation recorded in English since around 1600; similar sounds exist in other languages, including Dutch.

“Huh” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Huh” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: used to show confusion, surprise, or to ask someone to repeat what they said.

Both can ask someone to repeat something, but "huh?" is more casual and can also express confusion or surprise, while "what?" is more direct and can sound abrupt or even rude. "Huh?" softens a request for repetition.

When added to the end of a statement, "huh" turns it into a casual question inviting agreement, as in "nice weather, huh?" In this role it works like a tag question, similar to "right?" or "isn't it?"

"Huh" is an informal, conversational interjection and is not suitable for formal or academic writing. It appears mainly in speech, dialogue, and casual messages.

"Huh" usually signals confusion, surprise, or a request to repeat, while "hmm" signals thinking, hesitation, or mild doubt. They express quite different reactions even though both are short interjections.